Dog harnesses are one example of equipment designed to include strapping material, e.g., leather or one of a variety of textiles, and one or more fasteners for the straps. The basic design of a harness typically includes strapping positioned around a dog's body behind the foreleg pits/elbows and around the front of the chest or neck. A common fastener used for one or more of the harness straps is a buckle. There are a variety of different types of buckle. One type of buckle is a metal “belt buckle” that is integrated with one end of a strap to be fastened. More recently, a two-part side-release buckle has become the most common type of fastener used in harnesses. Side-release buckles may be made of hard plastic or metal.
The buckles used in a dog harness may cause a number of problems, even when the dog harness is properly fit and properly used. One common problem, especially seen in short-coated dogs, is the buckle rubbing against the dog's body and causing injuries such as the wearing off of the hair beneath the buckle, skin irritation, skin abrasion, and raw sores. Another common problem, especially for long-coated dogs, is the dog's hair getting caught when the two parts of a side-release buckle are snapped together. Hair caught in the buckle may be pulled and, in turn, pull the skin causing discomfort and pain.